Career Center

Riverstone International is seeking to hire a Director of Residential Life for the 2022-23 school year who will be responsible for providing the strategic leadership and management of Riverstone’s boarding community of up to 32 international and domestic students enrolled in Grades 9-12. Responsibilities include developing and implementing program initiatives that advance student satisfaction and integration with the broader school and local communities, overseeing the program budget, supervising residential staff, and managing the day-to-day support for students, including student wellness, building management, and community development. This individual will work shifts to provide continuous supervision of dorm students. The successful candidate is a committed professional who will challenge students to perform at their best and enthusiastically accept the role of acting in loco parentis. The Director of Residential Life will report to the Head of School. As a member of a high-performing leadership team, the Director of Residential Life will have the opportunity to design and implement critical systems, engage in professional growth opportunities, and make a difference in serving a vibrant educational community. A can-do initiative, personal responsibility, and a commitment to professional growth and quality work are core values shared by all members of the Riverstone International School leadership team. This is a full-time, year-round administrative position. It comes with a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with a leadership position in an independent school of similar size and location.

There is the opportunity for the Director of Residential Life to live in a single-bedroom apartment within the dormitory facility in downtown Boise. In the event the Director lives off-site, they must be within a 15-minute drive from Riverstone House.

Download the job description with more information on qualifications here. Qualified applicants should submit a resume and cover letter with a Riverstone application to careers@riverstoneschool.org with “Director of Residential Life” identified in the subject line.

Residential Life Strategic Leadership:

• Help to define the overarching goals for the boarding program within the school community.

• Design and implement a residential curriculum in collaboration with dorm staff and in consultation with students. This includes being present and involved in residential events and activities to build a strong connection with students.

• Establish and administer policies, procedures and rules that govern residential life.

• Stay at forefront of independent boarding schools best practices, following current research and contributing to the larger professional community.

• Coordinate day and dorm program interactions to ensure dorm students and staff are appropriately integrated and valued in the High School and at RIS.

• Be on duty in the dorms as necessary and supervise students in the dorm during afternoons, evenings, and weekends, likely a minimum of 3 weekdays/night per week, and 2 weekends per month

• Create opportunities for integration and support meetings with dorm staff, High School academic staff, counselor, Student Life Coordinator and others.

• Create and manage the annual residential program budget in conjunction with the school’s Business Manager.

• Support the work of the Admissions, Development and Business Offices in areas applicable to dorm students and the residential program.

General / Staffing

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate the dorm team, including two House Parents focused on logistics and relationships, respectively, and two House Parent Associates;

• Establish staff schedules to provide continuous, 24 hours / 7 days per week supervision of the dorm students by trained and qualified staff.

• Plan and implement annual training of dorm staff with the support of the Head of School, High School Division Director, High School Staff, Student Life Coordinator and Director of Enrollment Management.

• Create opportunities for integration and support meetings with dorm staff, High School academic staff, counselor, Student Life Coordinator and others.

• Create and manage the annual residential program budget in conjunction with the school’s Business Manager

• Support the work of the Admissions, Development and Business Offices in areas applicable to dorm students and the residential program.

Student Support and Safety:

• In conjunction with dorm staff, develop means for evaluation of programming to identify student success and well-being.

• Attend student support meetings and coordinate student support with dorm staff, teachers, counselors, administrators, and any relevant medical professionals

• Oversee the needs of dorm students including transportation, activities, health and wellness, travel and discipline and host families, as needed.

• Oversee student health records.

Communications and meetings:

• Conduct weekly meetings with staff to develop and review goals/outcomes, discuss issues, recognize contributions, and provide and solicit feedback.

• Be present and involved in residential events and activities to build a strong connection with dorm students and their families.

• Coordinate communications with the parents of dorm students

Facilities and Transportation:

• Coordinate with dorm staff the transportation of dorm students for academic needs, medical appointments, specific student activities, and to/from the airport for the opening/closing of the dorm and breaks.

• Coordinate with applicable public agencies and Facilities manager to ensure the residential program meets all legal requirements including licensing with the Department of Human Services and facility inspection with the fire department 

Qualifications:

• BA/BS or equivalent in relevant discipline

• Experience working with adolescents

• Demonstrated experience in residential life leadership and curriculum development

• Clean driving record, valid driving license, and ability to drive minors in school vehicles

• Ability to pass a background check Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to speak Spanish, Mandarin or other languages

• Commercial Driver’s License

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to learn and grow professionally and to stay abreast of changes in the field of residential life

• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to collaborate, and openness to constructive feedback.

• Intercultural competence, ability to interact appropriately with individuals from a diverse array of backgrounds, ability to teach and lead diverse groups effectively

• Excellent communication skills to interact with students, families, and colleagues

• Detail-oriented and highly organized

• Ability to effectively set priorities, be flexible, and work independently

• IT skills: general digital literacy, MS Office Suite, web applications such as Google Docs, Zoom or Skype, etc. as appropriate to job duties, flexibility to adapt and learn as digital tools evolve

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to twenty-five pounds on an infrequent basis

• Mobility sufficient to move about the residence

• Ability to see, hear, and speak to interact with students, families, and groups of individuals